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The present invention relates to a vehicular lamp provided with a plurality of LED sources, more particularly to a vehicular lamp configured so as to radiate light using an indirect lighting technique.
Recently, vehicular lamps using LEDs as light sources have come into widespread use. For example, Japanese Patent Publication No. 3173453 and Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 11-306810 describe a vehicular lamp in which a plurality of LED sources are arranged in a linear array and positioned in such manner they cannot be seen directly from the front of the lamp. Light is reflected from each of the LED sources in the forward direction of the lamp. Such a lamp provides soft illumination due to the use of an indirect lighting technique.
However, in such a conventional vehicular lamp where the LED light sources are arranged in a linear array extending in a direction perpendicular to the beam of light radiated from the lamp, a cover member is required which covers all of the LED light sources so that they cannot be observed directly from the front of the lamp. When the lamp is viewed from the front, a belt-like shadow caused by the cover member detracts from the appearance of the lamp.
Proposals have been made to solve this problem by eliminating the cover member. Such an approach, however, makes it difficult to make lamp slim.
The present invention is made in view of the foregoing circumstances, and it is an object of the invention to provide a vehicular lamp configured such that light is radiated using an indirect lighting technique employing a plurality of LEDs as light sources while exhibiting a good appearance when lit and achieving a slim profile for the lamp.
In order to achieve the above and other objects, the present invention provides a vehicular lamp having a reflector of an improved design and improved arrangement of the LED light sources.
Specifically, a vehicular lamp according to the present invention includes a plurality of LED light sources and a reflector that reflects light from the LED light sources forward of the lamp, the light sources and reflector being housed inside a lamp chamber defined by a lamp body and a translucent cover. The reflector is provided with a plurality of small reflectors of a serrated shape arranged in an array extending in a predetermined direction transverse to the longitudinal direction of the lamp. The reflecting surface of each of the small reflectors is composed of a plurality of step-like reflecting elements extending in the predetermined direction. Each of the LED light sources is mounted in a space to the side of the corresponding adjacent small reflector and directed so that its light output is irradiated onto the reflecting surface of the corresponding small reflector.
The reflector may be formed of a plurality of small reflectors formed integrally with one another, or of separate small reflectors. Alternatively, the lamp body can be constructed to function as the reflector.
The above-mentioned predetermined direction is not limited to a specific direction as long as it is transverse to the longitudinal direction of the lamp. For example, the predetermined direction may parallel to the lateral or vertical direction of the lamp.
Serrated shape herein refers to a configuration where a plurality of inclined portions arranged in a step-like configuration are oriented at substantially the same angle are arranged in an array.
The specific configuration of each of the small reflectors is not limited as long as the reflecting surface of each is composed of a plurality of reflecting elements that are divided in a step-like manner in the predetermined direction. The reflecting surface of the small reflector may be divided into a plurality of reflecting elements extending only in the predetermined direction, or it additionally may be divided into a plurality of reflecting elements extending also in the direction perpendicular to the predetermined direction.
As used herein, the term space or position to the side of the small reflector refers to a space or position which is lateral of the small reflector and which cannot be seen from the front of the lamp.
As apparent from the description above, a vehicular lamp according to the present invention is provided with a plurality of LED light sources and a reflector that reflects light from the LED light sources forward of the lamp, with the LED light sources and the reflector being housed in a lamp chamber defined by a lamp body and a translucent cover. Further, the reflector is composed of a plurality of small reflectors arranged in a serrated shape extending in a predetermined direction that crosses the longitudinal direction of the lamp, and each of the LED light sources is mounted at a position to the side of adjacent the small reflectors so that light can be radiated onto the reflecting surface of the adjacent small reflector. With this construction, the following effects of the invention are achieved.
Since each of the LED light sources is provided in a space to the side of the corresponding one of the small reflectors that are arranged in a serrated shape, there is no need of providing a special cover member to hide the LED light sources when the lamp is viewed from the front. Therefore, it is possible to solve the problem which occurs in the conventional case that the appearance of the lamp when lit is degraded when viewed from the front due to the belt-like shadow from the cover member. Further, there is no need of providing a separate cover member, which contributes to making the lamp slim.
Moreover, since the reflecting surface of each of the small reflectors is composed of a plurality of smaller reflecting elements that are formed in a step-like manner, a slim vehicular lamp is easy to achieve. Further, it is possible to illuminate the entire reflecting surface at substantially equal intensity.
Therefore, according to the present invention, with a vehicular lamp arranged such that light is radiated employing an indirect lighting technique using a plurality of LED light sources, it is possible to realize a lamp which has a slim profile as well as an improved appearance when lit.
In the configuration described above, it is not necessary to provide a separate member to attach the LED light sources if the small reflectors are integrally formed with a protruding piece that extends into a space behind the small reflector and the light source is attached to the protruding piece. With the LED light source attached via the protruding piece as explained above, the orientation of the light beam radiated from the light source can be set arbitrarily, compared to the case where a LED light source is attached directly to the rear surface of the reflecting surface of each of the small reflectors. With this configuration, it is possible to secure a greater amount of light flux entering the reflecting surface of a small reflector corresponding to the LED light source.
In this case, if the protruding piece is formed at an edge portion of the reflecting surface of the small reflector, formation of dent or the like on the reflecting surface caused by the protruding piece can be prevented or effectively restrained.
In the configuration described above, if the plurality of small reflectors are formed by integral molding, the number of parts can be reduced and the assembly process for vehicular lamp can be simplified. Also, the positioning accuracy between each of the LED light sources and each of the small reflectors to which light from each of the LED light sources is radiated can be improved.
Further, in the configuration described above, if a plurality of sets constituted by a plurality of small reflectors are arranged in a rectilinear array extending both in the predetermined direction of arrangement and in a direction perpendicular to that direction, a substantially planar illuminated surface is obtained. Also, by providing an appropriate number of small reflectors in each set, it is easy to make the outer shape of the reflector suitable for the particular vehicular lamp shape.